Sonder
by memefarius
Summary: Hiveworld visit of an Inquisitorial retinue, gets more intersting. made for a discord event. Big shoutout to THE CREATOR and Hydra for beta reading and helping for punctuation. I sure as hell dont own warhammer! it is propert of GW.
1. Chapter 1

Working in the mines was what he did for hours on end. So the Imperium could continue its militaristic life, those tanks needed the promethium, the flamers needed the chemical, the flyers needed it too. So did the space ships with their plasma generators. But all he did was drill and work the pickaxe, and then he would be free to come home and talk with the wife. Maybe more, maybe less.

_Maybe I could go to the bar with the boys before going home. But that would make my Maya angry. I don't want to upset her._

So drinking is most likely off the table. The next hit tore down a big chunk of the sleazy mineral as big as his head. Ivan knew that this wouldn't be enough for his daily quote most likely, but he still lifted it up_ Emperor damn it, this thing is heavy_. and put it in his cart. It was almost full. Maybe he could go home sooner. After brushing his brow he removed his top, musculature and tattoos of the lives in the hive being shown. He twisted the top, draining the sweat weighing it down and leaving a wet stain on the floor. After he put the top back on, he followed suit with his trusty helmet. You never knew with this stuff. One moment things are normal the next Tsanyo got hit by a dislodged rock. The memory still haunted him...seeing the man working next to him die like that. Ivan didn't sleep that night. After muttering the litany for protection, he picked up his instruments and continue working. Things were going well. One more standard hour and he will be home. _Maya will be happy that I will be home early._ Looking at where the chunk had been, he saw faint green glow without anything emitting it.

The next thing Ivan felt was a touch on his shoulder and a question next to his ear:

"You ok there, Vanka? You have just been staring there for the last, I don't know 5 minutes."

"I thought I saw some glow, but I must be seeing things." Was all that he could say as the faint glow wasn't there anymore. Only the darkness and what the experienced miner could determine was a mineral vain. _Nice. I will be able to finish even earlier than expected, and sweet home, here I come. _ With a smile on his face he lifted is pickaxe. Work is hard in the mines, but you have to work, making sure that the hive works, the hive paying tithes to the Imperium – either in men for the Imperial guard regiments or in stocks/merchandise and fuel.

Ivan remembered his father – tall man with tattoos round his neck and bionical left arm as a substitute for a loss in battle. After his death, for the augmented limb they paid to remain theirs, the price was high but possible and they paid it. They worked extra hours, ate meager amounts of food and sold some things, but the sergeant was buried whole. From the old man there were left some Militarum objects – flack armor in grey-blue, the rags of a flag and a small auto-gun pistol. Those weren't sold, the gun was kept polished and in operational condition, officially not used, just a memento from a dead man. While thinking, he worked, the movements ingrained in his muscle memory from the long hours of work. No flashes of green light were to be seen. What brought him out of the thoughts and brought reality to the front of his mind was when a piece of his work fell from the now-full cart.

"Alright, people, I am out!" His exclamation gathered the attention of his mine-mates, some curious, some envious but the friendly pat on his back from the miner closest to him. To when Ivan saw who it was he wasn't surprised to hear " Wanna wait me for a couple of minutes? We can go drink some amasec."

"Maya will be upset if I come home shitface-drunk. You know she is the one, I don't want to screw this up"

"Just a couple of drinks! You are done and I am just a couple of minutes away from finishing my daily quota. You know how it is twenty minute adventure at the Arbitees bucket!" Ivan knew that his old gang buddy was going to pester him the whole day tomorrow if he didn`t agree to go to the bar. As a deep sigh came from his lips he had nothing left but agree with his old friend. "Only two cups, I want to settle down and maybe bring the next generation, with the emperor's blessing to this world."

"I know, Vanka – and then you want to die in your bed of old age?"

"Yes, I left that life. No shooting in the streets, no fighting in the gutter, no sneaking away at night to kill muties. This is for the youngsters that are under twenty five! Us grizzled old dogs have to sit on our asses and get our shit together."

While talking, his friend finished his work and both headed towards the exit, pushing mining carts towards the supervisor who checked the contents and nodded, silent and vigilant a sentinel watching over the sinners in this dirty Emperor-forgotten hellhole. Scars across the face hinted that the man might have also had some run ins with combat in the past, or maybe some accident had happened? Silently deciding it wasn't of such importance right now, the friends headed towards the changing room, leaving the mining helmets and other dirty mining equipment like pickaxes in their personal lockers. How long was it that this was his locker, he wondered? A month or a year? Perhaps more. If he could collect his mind, maybe he could remember working the mines after the run-ins with the arbitrators was what brought him to the mines for the first time.

This was when he was still a stupid youngster thinking that the world is in his palm, like so many street kids that joined the gangs – some of desperation, other of cockiness. He had seen and done a lot of things during his time; saw corrupt lex mechanics willing for the right amount to scribe off the slates, some stuff like reasons for death; he had seen apprentices of the machine cult that used substances; saw corrupt doctors working in the gangs. But after meeting Maya he decided that getting his shit together to get her to stay with him, to capture her interest, was what really mattered. When they got into the bar, he actually saw some familiar faces – from the old gang, from the docks and from wherever else one could think on this level. He could even see some low level administratum clerks and workers drinking happily.

On the side people playing dice and cards. Feelings of sonder came over him, looking at people from many different walks of life sitting in one place, drinking, playing, talking, sharing their stories. When he entered and the tin bell on the door rang, everybody`s eyes looked towards them, some augmented and some more or less than they should be. But this is what a person got at this level of the hive, nothing fancy but definitely nothing too underhive-y. _People carrying guns, this could turn ugly, We should drink our drinks and get out_. After finding 2 empty seats near the bar, they both got their first shots of amasec, paid for before gotten as usual. Old Stoneface didn't keep tabs. Like every barman, you pay-you drink. Right next to him sat a tall person, with grim expression, Ivan couldn't notice any tattoos. _Maybe an offworlder? _When his old pal started drinking, he lost the willingness to talk and just drank silently. Looking around for a person to talk to: the offworlder or somebody else? Some of the goons could be seen around, but he had moved on from that life. _I guess the offworlder it is_.

"Ye aren't local, I can see that, so what brings you to the Bucket?" he asked the longshanks next to him, almost not expecting an answer.

"I`ve … come to look for a certain person" after a small pause the man said. _Interesting._

"`Nd who might that be? Someone for a specific job? A wayward son? Or a lover? If you want, I can help you with that last one. Ah'know a girl nearby who'll leave ye feeling like you are at the eternity gate…" Ivan indeed knew some girls nearby that were in that busyness sphere so to say, _working on that busyness plane more like_, but he grew up around there. He knew most of the people at the least by face, knew who was a whore and who was a peddler. Some news went around even if they are meant to be a secret. The look the stranger gave him made him shut up.

"Perhaps you shouldn`t be sticking your nose in other peoples busyness, mister?" the icy tone sent shivers down his spine, something was feeling off about the man, the young miner couldn't exactly pinpoint it. Face like any other, he passed by so many people around here, nothing stood out, maybe the deep eyes that reminded him of an oil stain spilt from a smuggler`s bike.

"Ivan, but my friend can call me Vankata."

"Well vanka, tell me about yourself, why are you drinking here instead of spending time with your girlfriend, that you love?" Ivan could ignore the mocking tone of the person, what rattled him were the words.

"How do you know?" Ivan hissed, the smile on the other mans face made the feeling even strangers, feeling of a sudden temperature drop, sent shivers down his spine. _Witchery, foul magics_, _maleficarum_, was all that came to his mind.

"You have a ring, while your arms and hands are dirty, it is looking surprisingly clean." Ivan felt like an idiot, but still why shouldn't he say what had happened today? _Nothing bad can come out of this anyway_.

"Today, while working, I saw some strange green shine. Unearthed a big chunk of mineral, and for some brief moments there it was, small green light." It was the strangers turn to look shocked, reaching inside of his long coat and bringing out a pencil and some paper, drawing some angular looking symbol before showing it.

"Did you saw this sign? Any kind of other green signs? Heard rattling like that of a rat or something?"

"No."

"Think about it very well…" the kaleidoscopic eyes of the stranger looked into his own dark eyes, feeling like he is being read like an open book went through the miner. After some time passed a question came: "You `ver think everybody lives their unique interesting life?"

The question caught Ivan`s attention "Why yes, mister. I get this feeling from time to time. This is why I just look at people, and try to guess what they do for a living, what their family status is and so on…"

"And what can you say about me?" was the next question, the usual question he got when talking about his interest in other people.

"I don't see tattoos, therefore You 're not local, mister. Your eyes have regular pupil, so you don't use drugs. You are dressed nicely, the boots aren't new but are well maintained, the coat is made of skin so you must have paid for it pretty penny." The smile on the mans face grew during Ivan listed his observations.

"What does all of this say about my way of living?"

"Way too many mixed signals, mister. But whatever it is I see that you carry boltgun under your coat, therefore you are above me. You could probably buy this whole place aren't ye?" the words probably garnered the interest of some of the more unhealthy patrons of the Bucket.

"Perhaps I could indeed do it… or maybe not. Who knows?" the smile was gone from the face of the man for some short seconds, and something else settled in its place before an even bigger smile was in place.

A figure clad in black approached the man and made small hand sign

"Time for me to go." the man said, looked into the eyes of his drinking buddy, downed the amasec, paid and left.

As soon as he left the bar, Ivan no longer remembered who he talked with, or how the man looked. The only thing he remembered is listening to the vox hailer in the corner of the room. After looking at the clock on the wall he noticed he showed go, if he wanted to get home early. Picking up his mine-mate and paying for the drinks, and making his way home. No one noticed when they fell in the gutter. Just 2 man smelling of spirit drink laying in the gutter. Nothing new. No one noticed the shadow that hurried in the other direction into the back alleys.

"Was this really necessary?" said the shock trooper. The man smiled, there was nothing happy in that smile. The face turned aggressive, almost predatory when he turned to his acolyte.

"That man was onto something, and saw too much. Thanks to him, we had some extra work."

"What should we do with them?" asked another figure from the shadows.

"Just let them lay in some dumpster. People will think it is the work of some rival gang."

_People indeed live interesting lives, Vanka, some of them as interesting as yours. But mine is way more interesting._

"Gather the people! We got the information we needed!" From the shadows shined a smile, 2 rolls of perfectly white sharpened teeth. They started walking towards their hotel room. Not too shabby of a place, it was. It was recommended by the local clergy, and Reese had his opinion about the deacons and the other people of the Eclesiarchy, from the pen pushers, through the sermon singers and ending in the ecclesiarchy of the planets. Heresy is just six letters and if I say them, this whole planet could be cleansed. I can spark a war with just one letter. _All I need is one of you priest-boys to want some extra power_. They reached their destination. Upon entering, no one paid attention to their small group. Upon reaching the receptionist, he gave the words that were awaited: "The deacon wants some oil…" the man nodded and made small gesture.

With a sigh, he gave 10 credits.

"Your subordinates came 5 minutes ago, and ordered some tea and recaff to be delivered to the hall."

"Thank you mister." He said with a smile.

After entering the room, all he had to say was: "I am glad all of you are here already, but we may have to wait for a moment, before I start briefing you on the plan. Even though, due to some information I acquired recently, it might be easier to just exterminate this goddamn place."

Everybody looked towards him, until one brave soul within his retinue asked: "Why?"

"If I am right, and I usually am we will need some of my colleagues from Ordo Xenos and some serious ordnance. Or if we are lazy and deem the place completely lost, then we can exterminatus it even though that would be such a shame." Everybody nodded. Most likely nobody understood to what he alluded. .

"Life`s `bout to get more interesting, for more people." _No one will suffer from sonder, that's for sure. After all if it comes to the worst, `cause they will either be fighting for their lives or be dead._

=O=


	2. Chapter 2: The quiet before the storm: p

The quiet before the storm: part 1

When the most important players in his retinue were gathered around the big table and all that could be heard was the clincking of amasec glasses and polishing of weapons the inquisitor took a couple of seconds to look at everybody around the table. There could be seen a pretty diverse cast of characters. And that is before he even considered himself. After all who could be more interesting than himself?  
The Silent Sisterhood? The constant self deprecating assassins? Or the colorful gangers that could be seen around the conference hall?

'Maybe a small motivational speech would inspire them to go to the high spires and beyond? Now how to start this?' it will always be better to start a bit more traditional. As the thought crossed his mind he pulled a cigar from his pocket and lighted it from a nearby candle sett up by the mechanicum around the big holo projector. Being sure the machine spirit would ignore the small transgression he pulled for puf as he had seen some of his underlings do but all he managed was coughing.

Everybody stared at their leader. The Inquisitor stared back at them – the sisters, the two assassins, the astropath, the tempestus scions and a couple gangers.

"Fine ladies and gentlemen!..." he started wanting to give them the pep talk and the plan at the same time.  
"Some more fine than others!" whispered a nearby ganger, who closed his mouth when even the soulless pariahs stared at him, even though one of them nodded and puffed her chest forward.

"As I was saying before our friend there interrupted us" everybody in the room stared at the ganger again, until he whimpered "We have come here to do our duty! To enact the Emperor`s will! Foul heresy has been enacted on the planet! If it wasn't for the blessed promethium According to our source there has been heretical activity on the level the area of the docks, warehouses and brothels. From our scouts and their small investigation we have pinpointed the location to this building." As he said it from the table came a holo projection and where his fingers were could be seen a long but most likely squat warehouse. "I want Mila and your best commandos, Long, to be looking around it and get intel on every single person that goes in. No matter if they are a janitor, whore, docker or a worker. I want all that can be known for them – from what they do for a living to what color their shit is. Take 1 of the sisters and a couple of steeltalon hawks with yourself. Got it?"

The Assassin and the Tempestor prime nodded. Neither of them felt the need to say anything.

"D`anatiel will stay with me on all time" the mentioned asthropath noded.

"Tyriana please make sure that your sisters are ready to bust in at any moment. I have bought a nearby warehouse." The sister superior almost managed to say something when she was cut off by the inquisitor. "Yes, you are permited to take your vehicle with you."  
"The order of the Valorous heart will stand vigil in preparedness. We shall pray and ready ourselves. The heretics will not know what hit them. Our swiftness shall be such " As the Sister of battle left the people still in the hall to hear her shouting to get her tank filled and armed, followed by cries of cheer from her order. Everybody could smell the burned promethium in their future, yet they for sure didn't want to anger the sister.

"Fox, Emilia take the blanks but position them so they are able to be called fast and I want you to be on the field too."  
"If after this you give me the aspirin." said the male blank, while the Oblivion kinght from the Silent sisterhood just nodded and made hand signs in Thought Mark .

"And what would you be doing, boss?" asked a ganger. Every soul in the room froze and stared back at the inquisitor and the tattoo covered ganger grunt.

"Unlike what you may think miss Brohly, I will not be wanking in my safe quarters while you are risking your bacon. I will be out collecting information on another possible threat, that may have us need to call for some help from our xenos specializing colleagues or can turn all our work obsolete." Everybody remembered what the tall man told them.

"And how perhaps do you plan on collecting said information?" asked a guardsman playing with a stub revolver. There wasn't a soul that didn't look at the gunslinger`s tricks. The soulless in the company didn't even bother to pay attention to the tricks more interested in the answer.

"Yesterday I sent one of the shock troopers to dispose of 2 miners coming a bit closer than they should have. I plan on keeping an ear to the ground where we met them." The answer seemed to make the gun-for-hire happy and everybody else in the room seemed to accept the answer. Sadly even for Reese this didn't last long as one of the adepts was opening her mouth.

"Inquisitor you spent the afternoon of the previous day in an establishment called 'Arbitees bucket'. Do you think the local law enforcement force isn't going to do something when the name obviously insults their helmets? Or it is about their heads that are in the said helmets? Perhaps comparing them to empty buckets?" Loud groan escaped from everybody in the room that wasn't wearing a Vratine amour.

"Yes I am going to be in a bar. Thank you for pointing that." The female adept shivered when the kaleidoscopic eyes of her current boss zeroed on her own eyes.

"Boss if you want to go for a drink I am sure we can procure you something. I can go and nic some from the world governor`s whine... aw." the person speaking closed his mouth so fast under the inquisitor`s gaze they managed to bite their own tongue.

"You all have got your orders! Go and follow them. I want a report sent to me every 4 hours."

…

"No questions? Good! You are all dismissed."

After a short visit to the 'inquisitorial throne' and a good wipe with the paper of absolution. Reese decided to bring one more person with himself on his small trip to the middle-hive where he was the previous night. One of the locals would not seem too out of place. After looking at the mirror and quick sigh at how perfect he looked, he exited and went to the room where some of his minions were playing cards. After watching them play the current hand and bringing in their credits. The brunette tapped on the shoulder of a short man with the imperial Aquila on the left side of the shaven head and a bleeding crossed knives on the other.

"Follow me!" the hiver knew better than to ask his superior. Standing up from the crate and checking something in his jacket followed by a nod. Reese started making his way through the streets and alleys until a familiar small establishment was in front of them.

"We are not here to start shit." The tattooed man nodded. "We just go in and keep our ears open. If somethings picks up your interest and is not imperative that I know right then and there, don't bother me. Am I clear?"  
"You are, boss." Said the shorter man with his a gravelly voice.

Upon entry in the `establishment` everybody`s gaze zeroed on them. After noticing the bolter and his not openly aggressive demeanor towards them, the clientele was not less shady than the last time he visited.

'Well lets get this info gathering started.' With a sigh the Inquisitorial representative though.

* * *

**Due to them being busy with college i decided to not bother my friend to Beta read this chapter, still i will ask of you to check his fic Pokextinction!**  
**next chapter will be at some point this decade xD  
**=O=**  
**


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